Deadly Past

by Reus, Katie

  Stepping out onto the sidewalk, he took in the various shops. A dog grooming place, a café, a quilting shop, a hardware store. It was like Mayberry here.

  Sliding on his sunglasses, he decided to head to a nearby diner. He hadn’t eaten since breakfast and people always talked openly in general, but especially when they were relaxed and eating. Usually they forgot that others could be listening because the majority of the time, people only paid attention to themselves. But sometimes he got lucky.

  Glancing both ways, he paused as a sheriff’s cruiser drove by, only stepping onto the road and hurrying across once it drove past him.

  Luckily, Verona Bay didn’t have a huge law enforcement presence. The bad thing about small towns, however, was that the cops usually knew most of the residents. And locals would easily recognize him as an outsider.

  He had to be careful not to do anything to stand out, and he had to stay far away from any and all cops.

  Chapter 13

  Adeline pulled up to the front of Mac’s furniture workshop and had to remind herself to keep it together when she was around him. Not that it mattered—he barely acknowledged her existence. It was…disappointing.

  The man was crazy talented, his woodwork actual art in her opinion. But she was here to tutor his youngest brother, Joe. He was in community college and struggling with math—something she excelled at. At first she’d tutored him at their home, but they were having some construction done so she’d been doing it at his shop the last couple weeks. Now she saw Mac more. Normally Mac just grunted at her, barely making eye contact, but that was probably a good thing.

  She had terrible taste in men, so if he actually had paid attention to her, she would’ve known that he was no good for her.

  As she reached the front door, Mac strode out, looking as surprised as she felt.

  “Adeline?” He paused, looking confused.

  Oh God. Had he ever said her name before? She loved the way it sounded coming from this giant, bearded man who might as well be a lumberjack. Today he had on a plaid flannel shirt rolled up to his elbows, showing off roped, muscular forearms she’d had fantasies about. That’s right, forearms. They were drool worthy. But not as much as his piercing blue eyes, which had ensnared her from pretty much the moment they’d met. To the extent that she’d more or less stumbled over her words the first time they’d met, unable to form complete sentences.

  “I’m supposed to tutor Joe today?” It came out as a question because she actually hadn’t seen Joe’s car in the parking lot.

  “Hell, I forgot you were coming.”

  Well, that was a blow to her ego. Of course he’d forgotten—another reminder that he didn’t know she existed. She kept her smile in place, however. Ugh, she really needed to get over this stupid crush.

  “I actually don’t know where Joe is,” he blurted. “I have no idea what’s going on with him. He hasn’t returned my phone calls and it’s been about thirty-six hours.”

  Alarm jumped inside her, everything else fading as she digested what he’d said. “That doesn’t sound like him.”

  “No, it doesn’t. I’ve already let Lincoln know, but there’s only so much he can do because Joe is an adult. And the local fishermen have been scouring areas where he was last seen on his little dinghy.” He had his keys in hand, his expression tight.

  “Are you going to look for him now?”

  “I’ve already been out, but I was going to do one last cruise looking for him before dark. I can’t do nothing.”

  She tucked her own car keys into her jeans pocket. “I’ll go with you.”

  He shook his head. “You don’t need to do that. I mean, I know he’s missing tutoring today, but I’ll still pay you for your—”

  “Let’s just stop right there. You’re not paying me for today. And I know I don’t need to go, but I want to. Besides, if you’re steering the boat, I can be extra eyes. It certainly won’t hurt, especially if you’re going to be navigating through the creeks. You might miss something.”

  He paused for all of a second and then nodded. “Thank you, and I really appreciate this.”

  “No problem.” She fell in step with him and hurried toward his truck, concern for Joe increasing.

  “I might be a while,” he said as they reached his Bronco. “So if you want to drive separately, you should.”

  “I’ve got tomorrow off. I don’t care how late we stay out. Joe’s a good kid who hero-worships you. I don’t think he’d stay out without a really good reason.” Technically he was considered an adult, but eighteen to her still felt like a kid.

  Jaw tight, he nodded and they both jumped into his Bronco.

  “Look, he’s dating someone…” She hedged. Joe had mentioned it to her but then had quickly asked her not to tell his big brother. Which seemed ridiculous because he was eighteen.

  Mac snorted. “I’m well aware. She hasn’t seen him either.”

  “Well, that’s a dead end then,” she murmured.

  “He told you about Marcy?” he asked as he backed out, surprise flickering across his hard features.

  “Yeah. He’s quite impressed with himself for landing an older woman,” she said, using air quotes. Because Marcy was all of twenty-three and fairly immature for her age in Adeline’s opinion. She was a sweet girl though, even if a bit jealous, according to the stories Joe had told her.

  Mac gave her a curious look before averting his gaze back to the road. “Does he talk to you about anything else? I’m not trying to pry. I just… The more I know about him.” His big hands tightened on the steering wheel, his knuckles going white.

  “I mean, mostly we work on math and prepping for college, but we talk about regular stuff too, I guess. He wants to impress you, I know that much. You gave up a lot for him and—”

  “He said that?” He seemed alarmed by the thought.

  “Well yeah. He told me how you came back to take care of him and his brother when your parents died. He’s grateful.” Hero worship was definitely right. He’d also confided in her that once he got his degree, he wanted to join the Marines like his big brother.

  Mac’s jaw tightened.

  “What’s wrong with that?”

  “I don’t want him to feel pressured or anything.”

  “Oh, I don’t mean that he feels pressured and that he ran off or something. He’s a good kid. A very well-rounded one, in fact. Especially for being eighteen. I certainly didn’t have my head on straight when I was that young.” She held back a snort as she remembered how dumb and impetuous she’d been at that age.

  “Somehow I doubt that,” he murmured as he pulled into the parking lot of a small marina.

  She had no idea what he could mean by that.

  He cleared his throat as he pulled into a parking spot close to the bait and tackle stand. “Pretty sure he has a crush on you.” The words seemed to be torn from Mac as the gravel rattled under the force of his tires stopping.

  She snorted softly. “He did. For maybe that first week or two. I shut him down very gently, in case you’re worried. Trust me, they weren’t real feelings, not puppy love even. Just a teeny bit of infatuation until he met Marcy. He really likes her.” And if Marcy didn’t know where Joe was…

  Adeline tried to push down the worry bubbling up inside her. Even if he had a good head on his shoulders, he was still eighteen. Hopefully he’d just gone out with friends and maybe lost his phone or…no. One of his friends would have let him borrow theirs. She bit her bottom lip as more worry welled up.

  “I didn’t know you knew about his crush.” He turned to look at her then, something she couldn’t read in his blue eyes.

  She lifted a shoulder. “Well, I’m a decade older than him, and it wasn’t hard to pick up on his cues. He wasn’t very subtle—he asked me out for coffee and a movie and made sure to know that he had money to pay and it was very much a date request.” He was forthright, she’d give the kid that.

  Mac’s mouth pulled up slightly, amusement flickering
there for an instant before the worry was back. “No, my brother is not subtle. Hell, I don’t like any of this,” he murmured, looking around the parking lot. “I’m…worried. I know in my gut something’s wrong.”

  On instinct, she reached out and grabbed his hand. A jolt of something arched between them. Taken by surprise, she quickly yanked her hand back.

  Whatever it was, she thought he might have felt it too but he simply looked away and hurried out of the vehicle.

  She had to half jog to keep up with his long strides as they headed down the dock toward the main office—a tiny shack that housed a small fridge and a portable air conditioner so the attendant wouldn’t get heat stroke during summers. After he checked in with the attendant to see if anyone had seen Joe, they hurried down the long row of docks.

  As he palmed his keys, she frowned. “Shouldn’t we bring food or anything? Or water? Maybe…a first-aid kit.” She wasn’t sure how long they would be out, and if they found Joe stranded somewhere there was a good chance he might be dehydrated.

  He swore softly. “I don’t know where the hell my head is. Just give me a second. My boat is in slot J-2.” He motioned a few rows down to the blue and gray fishing boat. “I’m going to run to the shack and grab a few bottles of water and some snacks. I’ve already got a kit in the boat.”

  She nodded and headed to his boat, untying it as she waited for him. As she did, she said a small prayer for Joe.

  The last time she’d prayed, she’d been held by a lunatic who’d wanted to murder her, and she was still alive.

  So maybe someone had listened—and she hoped they would again. Mac and his brothers had already lost their parents. She didn’t want them to lose one of their brothers too.

  Chapter 14

  “I think we should have at least two artists for the face painting.” Autumn scanned her to-do list for the fall festival she was putting together with a bunch of business owners in town. She was involved because she worked at the cultural center and a huge part of the festival would be taking place there. All of downtown would be closed the weekend of the festival, with vendors set up in the street. She was more or less the spokesperson for the cultural center because of her relationship with so many of the local business owners downtown.

  “I agree,” Bianca said. “At other festivals, adults and kids both love getting that done and the lines are always too long. I think we could maybe even add a third, at least from ten to two on Saturday and Sunday, since those are historically our busiest times during the Strawberry Festival and the Christmas one.”

  There were murmurs of agreement before Serenity spoke, drawing everyone’s attention to her. “I’ve been talking with the local animal shelter. I think we might be able to do something about getting some of their pets adopted as well. It’ll be a great time to showcase the pets who need homes and get more interest from the community.”

  “That’s a great idea.” Autumn had rescued her own Shadow from the local shelter and they were such a great organization.

  She glanced over at Adeline, who’d been uncharacteristically quiet all evening. She’d shown up late, which wasn’t like her, and was now tapping her finger against the table, her gaze distant as she stared out one of the windows of the coffee shop.

  Bianca had put the closed sign up to make it clear she wasn’t open, though it was well past hours regardless. And with so much light in the coffee shop, Adeline was basically staring at her own reflection. Autumn didn’t think she was actually seeing anything, however.

  “Adeline, what’s up?” She’d barely given any input over the last half hour and this new fall festival had been her idea to start with. Autumn had a lot on her mind too—obviously—and it was clear that Adeline was in the same boat.

  “What?” Adeline turned to look at them, blinking as if coming out of a haze. “Yes, pets are good.”

  Everyone stared at her.

  She sighed and shook her head slightly, her dark curls bouncing. “I’m sorry. I just have a lot on my mind.”

  Autumn knew that her friend had a murky past. Or at least she’d hinted at a violent ex-boyfriend. Autumn wondered if something was going on with him, but she didn’t want to pry. Of all people, she appreciated privacy. Still, she reached out a hand and gently touched Adeline’s forearm. “Is everything okay?”

  Adeline started to nod, but then just as quickly shook her head. “No. It’s…maybe nothing. But I’ve been tutoring Joe Collins lately, after normal work hours, and when I stopped by this afternoon, it turns out he’s missing. Mac has been searching the rivers and creeks in the area but there’s only so much he can cover by himself.”

  It was the first she’d heard of it. “Has he told Lincoln?”

  Expression grim, Adeline nodded. “Yes. And it sounds like he might be doing something—he’s got all the local fishermen involved anyway—but I don’t know if he’s going to set up an official search or anything. I’m just worried. I know Joe is eighteen, but… Well, he’s eighteen. Kids are stupid when they’re that young.”

  As the others asked her questions, Autumn pulled her cell phone out and texted Lincoln, asking him what was going on with Joe’s search. She’d actually taught the kid his junior year of high school and he was sweet, if a little mischievous. But he wouldn’t have just disappeared on his older brothers. No way.

  He responded immediately. Where are you?

  At the café. Can you tell me what’s going on with Joe Collins? Adeline is really worried.

  Sit tight. Be there in a minute.

  She blinked at the response, then tucked her phone away. “Lincoln said he’s coming over now,” she said to the group.

  Everyone looked at her in surprise.

  “Seriously?” Adeline said.

  She shrugged, feeling awkward. The sheriff’s station was downtown, barely a block away from there.

  Less than five minutes later, in plain clothes rather than uniform, he knocked on the door and before Autumn could move, Serenity had jumped up and grabbed the door.

  “Hey, Serenity,” he said, smiling at his brother’s fiancée.

  Autumn knew from Serenity that she and Lincoln had gone to college together, that he’d gone into law enforcement because of what had happened on campus when they’d been there, the kidnappings and Serenity’s twin sister’s murder.

  Then Lincoln glanced at her, his gaze seeking her out immediately. He gave her a soft smile that Autumn felt all the way to her core.

  They’d been texting on and off today, and even though she’d expected things to be weird between them, now that he knew she was pregnant…things had been kind of nice. Maybe still a little bit weird, but he’d stepped up in a way she simply hadn’t expected. She probably should have, but she knew that people could show their true colors when you needed them most. Turned out he had—and his true colors were beautiful.

  “How do you guys know about Joe?” He glanced at all of them.

  Adeline quickly relayed what she’d told them.

  Lincoln gave a brief nod, his jaw tight as she finished. “We’re starting an official search at daybreak tomorrow. Mac is down at the station with me right now—so’s his other brother Dylan. Turns out Joe and his girlfriend had a big fight before he took off, but I still don’t like any of this, so we’re taking this seriously. I’m going to post an announcement on the town’s online dashboard and social media as well, but feel free to let people know so they can pitch in.”

  Adeline let out a breath of relief. “Where is everyone meeting?”

  “Down at the marina. I’ll be there before sunrise,” he said. “I’m currently working on setting up different shifts. The local fishermen and boaters are pitching in and everyone I’ve called so far is helping.”

  “I can call in to the school and get a substitute if you need extra hands,” Autumn said. “I want to help too.” She hadn’t dealt with any morning sickness so even though she didn’t love the idea of getting on a boat, she wanted to pitch in.

  “Jus
t come after school lets out,” he said. “I’m going to need people to work later shifts anyway, and I’ve got the first five hours in the morning completely covered.”

  “I’ll bring a bunch of coffee and snacks down in the morning,” Bianca said.

  Lincoln nodded, and as the other women started talking, he motioned that he was heading out again. He hadn’t needed to come in person at all, and she appreciated that he had.

  Standing, she hurried outside with him, only to be blasted by a wave of warm air. It wasn’t hot exactly, but she’d learned that in Florida, the humidity was nothing like on the West Coast. It was awful here some days. And she never knew what to expect no matter the time of year. Stepping outside of the air-conditioned café, she regretted wearing a cardigan.

  “You don’t have to come tomorrow,” Lincoln said quietly, his gaze dipping to her stomach.

  “Just because I’m pregnant,” she whispered, even though there was absolutely no one outside this late—and yes, eight o’clock in a small town was late, “I’m not going to stop living my life. I’m fine, I promise. Please tell me you’re not going to go into crazy overprotective mode.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “I can promise to try.”

  She laughed, and it felt good. “You’re ridiculous.” And also adorable.

  “I get that a lot from my brothers.” His tone was dry.

  She laughed again, and realized he was watching her with a whole lot of heat simmering below the surface.

  That sobered her up quickly. Her attraction to him hadn’t waned at all, if anything it had increased. But she was still working through way too many things in her mind right now. Because Lincoln was the kind of guy who would absolutely propose marriage just because she was pregnant.

  He hadn’t yet, and she was actually kind of surprised. Probably because she’d made it clear she wanted to be friends only. Even if she wanted more, marriage for convenience wasn’t happening. Shaking off those thoughts, she stepped forward and pulled him into a hug, needing human contact in that moment. More than just human contact, she wanted to touch him specifically. And something in his expression told her that he needed it too, so she gripped him tight.